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More than 104 crore health records so far have been linked with ABHA, through the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), which the government calls one of the largest health programmes in the world. The agenda behind this health account is to connect a “patient’s health history with doctors, hospitals, and insurers on one network”. Considering the advancing global standards of healthcare infrastructure, India is also moving away from traditional paper records and making it easier for citizens to reach healthcare.
Ever since the ABDM started across the country, in 2021, it has grown as an “ecosystem that links patients, hospitals, labs, and insurers together”.
One part of this system is Aarogya Setu 2.0.
The app that began during COVID-19 as a contact tracing tool, which has now become a health app under ABDM. Launched in June 2026, by Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda. By virtue of this app, citizens are creating their ABHA ID, managing their health records, and registering at hospitals by scanning a code. It also has a feature called Smart Reports, which uses OCR technology to read documents.
Patients using this app are checking their insurance details through NHCX, it has an option to find nearby hospitals, and even see blood availability through e-RaktKosh. The app also allows individuals to book doctor visits and track health data from wearable devices.
Another service under ABDM is National Health Authority’s “Scan and Share”, which started in 2022.
A study conducted by the Indian Institute of Health Management Research found that this mobile service has “significantly streamlined outpatient registration by leveraging mobile technology and QR codes”.
The study further stated the patients are simply scanning a QR code at a hospital, and their details are pulled from their ABHA account. This creates a digital token in the queue. Henceforth, the waiting time dropped from around one hour to just 2 to 5 minutes, the study added.
Official estimates are suggesting that more than 23.21 crore tokens have been issued as of June 2026.
While the government is facilitating more and more hospitals as well as private clinics to join in this mission through the Digital Health Incentive Scheme. However, the hook is that any facility that wants to join will get money reimbursed for digitising their records, and they also get cash incentives for each record they link.
The latest reports mention that as much as INR 107 crore has been given to different hospitals for digitizing. Similarly, labs and pharmacies have received INR 2.95 crore, and digital solution companies have been offered about INR 26 crore.
Like many others Dr Praveen Sikka, who runs a pharmacy in Gurugram became a beneficiary of this scheme recently. Sikka registered on ABDM in about 2 hours. Now his patients are storing and viewing their records through the ABHA app, and his pharmacy earns money for every record it links.
For smaller clinics, to reap benefits out of this mission, the government has built a tool called eSushrut@Clinic. Made for Development of Advanced Computing and launched last month. It helps clinics handle patient registration, billing, and reports. Only verified doctors and facilities can use it, checked through the Healthcare Professionals Registry and Health Facility Registry.
As the statistics show that more than 2200 facilities have joined and created over 1633 health records.
These records also connect with the National Health Claims Exchange, or NHCX, which handles insurance claims. This should make claims move faster, cut hospital paperwork, and let patients see their benefits and medical history in one place.
Doctors can also see a patient’s past treatment, with the patient’s consent, which can cut down on repeated tests.
The Unified Health Interface (UHI), lets any patient using a UHI app connect with any verified hospital or doctor, even if they use different platforms. Right now, it covers five services: (1)finding blood banks, (2)searching hospitals under PM Jan Arogya Yojana, (3)finding Jan Aushadhi Kendra stores for cheaper medicines, (4)booking ambulances, and (5)booking doctor visits.
On privacy note, the data imported stays with whoever creates it, such as the hospital or lab. There is no single government server holding everything. Records move only when the patient agrees. New apps must pass tests in a sandbox and go through a security check before they can connect.
In February 2026, the government started two programmes for AI in health: SAHI and BODH, at the India AI Impact Summit. SAHI sets rules for how AI should be used in healthcare. BODH lets developers train AI models without seeing raw patient data.
As a large percentage of records are getting linked to ABHA accounts with each passing day, ABDM is destined to achieve the goal of a digital health record for every person across the country.
Courtesy: PIB Srinagar
